I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of fabrics and, particularly, to articles which are absorbent to liquids, yet not completely permeable to liquids.
II. Background of Invention
Hospital patient care generates considerable quantities of infectious medical waste in primary and acute care facilities. Such facilities have a need to provide various textile products to be used by physicians and other professionals, as well as for bedding, draperies, towels, and similar items.
At one time, virtually all textiles used in such environments were reusable. Reusable textiles were primarily made from woven fabrics of yarns and the yarns were composed of cotton or other natural fibers. However, synthetics were later developed which included fibers such as nylon and polyester. These synthetics were primarily spun from staple fibers and very little texturized synthetic filaments were in use at that time.
Approximately thirty years ago, disposable garments, covers, linens and drapes were introduced to the medical environment. When compared to the reusable garments, the disposables offered many cost- and time-saving features. For instance, hospitals were able to reduce or entirely eliminate their laundry facilities and the hospital had, for the first time, garments that exhibited significant barrier protection. Barrier protection is important in hospitals to prevent unwanted contact of the wearer to harmful liquids, infections agents, and other bodily fluids.
Another significant drawback to reusable textiles was that they could not provide liquid barrier capabilities, especially after only a few laundry cycles. However, the average lifetime of a hospital reusable was approximately 18 laundry cycles.
Current disposables are generally non-woven in composition. For instance, carded stock is often chemically bonded into fabrics. Such carded webs are treated with adhesives or bonding agents and are then calendared to form "paper-light" materials. Carded webs have recently been replaced by thermobond materials, which have a softer "hand," but which have reduced cross-directional strength.
Further current disposables are produced from air-entangled and hydroentangled fibers which produce suitable fabrics. Such non-wovens are composed mostly of polypropylene fibers or from a polyester staple with cellulose wood pulp. These hydroentangled webs display the most textile-like hand, as well as a high degree of dimensional or cross-directional strength. Non-wovens of this class, such as SONTARA.RTM. by Du Pont, are widely accepted for use in medical gowns and drapes.
Recently, the medical industry has begun reverting to the use of reusable items. This trend arose because the disposable items produced significant infectious waste products. Originally, disposables were favored because they promoted anti-septic patient contact and decreased the potential for cross-infections between patients, a significant problem with cleanable, reusable textiles. However, various federal and state regulations have subsequently reclassified much of the disposable product as "infectious," thereby making desirable the minimization of their use.
An average hospital patient produces 55 lbs. of medical waste per day. Approximately 20% of that waste is classified as "infectious." The American Hospital Association and the Centers for Disease Control recommend immediate disposal of medical waste. Medical waste is considered an occupational hazard for health care workers, but is not considered an environmental safety problem. The most preferable way to contain infectious medical waste is to disinfect it at the point of generation and dispose of the treated medical waste with minimum handling and storage on premises.
As a result, consumption of medical disposable woven or non-woven products has been growing at a rate of approximately 10% a year. In 1988, sales totaled approximately 1.155 billion dollars. It is projected that as of the end of 1996, sales of medical disposable non-woven products will have exceeded two and a half billion dollars. In the United States, there are at least 30 million surgical procedures performed each year. After each surgical procedure, it is necessary that the operating theater be disinfected before a new procedure is performed to minimize any exposure the patients may bring to other patients or staff. This is particularly important in light of today's increasingly stringent regulations regarding occupational exposure to blood and bodily fluids.
One of the most prevalent items in the surgical theater as well as in the clinical environment is the use of surgical drapes and surgical gowns. These textiles are highly likely to come into contact with infectious materials in the form of spills, splashes, drips or general runoff of potentially hazardous fluids such as blood, bodily liquids and irrigation products presently involved in virtually all operating procedures. Cleaning of soiled gowns and drapes also leads to considerable opportunity for additional hazardous exposure to people that are employed to clean the garments after they are used. Furthermore, conventional gowns and drapes, if disposed of either through landfill or incineration, provide ample opportunity for reinfection.
In addition, traditional medical textiles such as gowns and drapes are constructed of a fluid absorbent fabric. While this fabric permits containment of spilled or splashed liquids, the liquids are quite capable of permeating the textile and thereby recontracting the patient or the medical worker.
The invention herein solves the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a textile suitable for use in the medical environment, such as for use as a gown or a drape, which is capable of absorbing harmful liquids yet preventing contact of the liquids with a patient or worker. Moreover, the invention, in another embodiment, provides such a textile which can be disposed of without additional risk of contamination or reinfection. In addition, the invention provides a textile disposal process that does not require the article to be introduced to a landfill, where it would be environmentally detrimental as well as potentially infectious. The invention also provides an alternative textile in which these desirable capabilities are provided for in a unitary, i.e., one piece, non-laminated article.